Best Coping Saw 2018 Reviews and Comparisons

If you are looking to do a spot of carpentry or wood working you are going to need a coping saw. The right coping saw can help you to get those jobs done quickly, and with little fuss. However, there are so many different coping saws on the market these days that it’s often hard to know which saw really is the right one for you. Here is where we have come in and helped: we have selected 5 of what we believe to be the very best coping saws on the market right now, making choosing the best saw just that little bit easier.

Product and reviews

The Magic Handsaws Set comes with a multi-purpose saw and a variety of tools that comes in an orange storage case, meaning you can take it with you wherever you go. Sold for approximately $32, this set can be used in a wide variety of areas such as in construction, horticulture, wood working, and carpentry. The saw blade can occasionally pop out of place while it’s being tightened, which could be a little frustrating for some, however, the saw does come with a good reputation. Helping you to cut curved and straight lines, the Magic handsaw set has a blade that has been made from silicon carbide, meaning it’s pretty strong, and the set even comes with a variety of blades making it ideal for a wide range of jobs.

Suitable for those who have just entered the world of DIY, and reasonably priced, the set measures 11 x 1.8 x 7.1 inches, and the saw itself is thought to be easy to use and comes with a comfortable grip.

The Knew Concepts 5" fret saw has a unique finish that makes it stand out from the crowd. Complete with a skip-tooth blade, and thought to be hugely innovative, this saw is ideal for those who love to work with wood. Priced at approximately $86, this isn’t a cheap saw by any means, but if you work with wood all the time, you may be prepared to pay the hefty price. Weighing just 5.2 ounces and measuring 13.9 x 10.3 x 1.5 inches, this saw is ideal for use with dovetails. The stiff frame could help to reduce the likelihood of the blade breaking, and the cam lever helps to stiffen the blade in no time at all.

The Knew Concepts blade mounting system means that users can move the blade 45 degrees in either direction, and the fret saw has a great reputation for helping users to get the job done quickly and efficiently

The Robert Larson 540-2000 coping saw is priced at approximately $19, and it comes with a comfortable wooden handle and an adjustable blade. Weighing 9.6 ounces, and measuring 12.6 x 6.2 x 1.9 inches, this saw feels quite durable. There have been a few complaints that the blade pin is not in place, but this can usually be dealt with by hammering it in.

With the ability to work at any angle, and an easy way of adjusting the blade by turning the handle, the Robert Larson 540-2000 coping saw is thought to be ideal for anyone who likes to indulge in a spot of DIY, or needs a relatively cheap coping saw to get a few jobs done. This saw can also be used with standard saw blades with pins, meaning that when the blade that comes with this saw is broken, or no longer usable, it will be easy to get your hands on a blade that works with it.

The Olson Saw SF63510 coping saw is a pleasant-looking saw that comes with a hard wooden handle, and a selling price of approximately $14, making it one of the cheapest saws that we recommend. This particular saw tensions the blade at both ends, meaning it’s stiffer and less likely to bend when it’s being used. The blade can also be moved to any angle, allowing the users to get a wide variety of jobs done with little effort.

The wood handle is not as easy to grip as some users may like, meaning it’s not always comfortable to use, but this saw does have a reputation for cutting well, and making those difficult jobs just that little bit easier. The Olson saw is well-built, and even though it doesn’t look particularly strong, it is thought to be ideal for tackling those occasional jobs that those who occasionally do a spot of DIY may come across.

The Sheffield 58203 coping saw is the cheapest saw out of the 5 saws we have picked for you. Sold for approximately $9, this saw will not break the bank, but it will help you to get a lot of jobs done. With a chamfered drive end, you can attack the blade very quickly, meaning you can get on with your job when you need to. With a 2-piece design, the 58203 is a strong saw that should work well when used for a variety of jobs. Weighing 9.6 ounces, and measuring 12.6 x 4.7 x 0.9 inches, users cannot by replacement blades that have been made for use with this saw. However, there are quite a few compatible blades on the market, so users should be able to find a blade that works well.

Despite its low price, the Sheffield 58203 coping saw has quite a good reputation, and the rubber handle is quite soft, making it comfortable to use. If you don’t wish to spend a lot of money on a coping saw, this could be the saw to opt for.

Pros

It is priced at $9

It comes with blade replacements

Cons

You cannot buy replacement blades that have been made for use with this saw

Buying Guide

Size

The size of the saw that you end up buying will ultimately depend on the size of the blade you need. The size of the blade can vary between 4 and 6 inches, and this measurement is the distance between the frame and the blade. This area is typically known as ‘The throat’.

Your choice of blade will depend on the type of work that you’re planning to undertake, however, some 4-inch blades can be just as good as some 6-inch blades. One tip when you’re looking to buy a particular sized saw is to take a look at the packaging and see what the saw can be used with. Once you have found a saw that is ideal for the job that you need doing, try to find some replacement blades that fit in the saw. Some blades will be made by the very same manufacturer, whereas others will be made by someone else, but they may still be compatible.

Shape of Blade

The shape of the blade that you buy will be fully dependent on the job that you want to do. For example, if you plan on cutting wood, you will need a blade that is fine or coarse. If you wish to cut tiles, you will need to look for a carbide-encrusted tungsten wire. If you would like to cut plastic, you will need to use a blade that has helical teeth. These are teeth that allow you to cut into the plastic in all directions.

Price

The price that you pay for your coping saw will depend on a few things:

How much you ultimately want to pay for the saw.

How many times you are likely to use your new coping saw.

Whether you think spending a lot of money on a saw means you will get a much better cut.

If you take a look at the saws above you will see that they are all priced differently. Each of these saws are known for their quality, but if you do not want to pay $86 for a saw that you won’t use very often, you may be happier with a much lower price. Some cheaper saws are thought to be just as good as some of the more expensive brands, but again it depends on what you want to use the saw for, and how often you wish to use it.

If you are only planning on using your saw once or twice a month, you may want to opt for the cheapest saw, as you won’t need to spend too much money on it. However, if it’s important that you have a really good quality cut each and every time, it may be worth your while spending more money on a coping saw.

Questions

What materials can I use it on?

The range of materials that you can use you coping saw on will depend on the blade that you’re using.

Wood - Different coping saws come with different blades, and it’s the difference in the blades that can make the saw ideal for use on a wide range of materials. Some blades are ideal for use on wood, and these blades are usually fine or coarse. The fine blades can cut tight curves, but they are a little slower to use however, they are ideal if you wish to cut a small curve.

Coarse blades have less than 15 teeth per inch, and this means the blade can cut the wood quite quickly, making it ideal when you need to cut a straight line.

Metal - Some blades are made from high carbon steel, and it’s these blades that make the coping saw ideal for use with metal.

Plastic - Place a blade that has helical teeth into your coping saw, so that it can cut plastic.

Tiles - If you would like to cut tiles with your coping saw, you will need to use a carbide-encrusted tungsten wire, so that you can do the job smoothly and relatively easily.

What shape blade should I go for?

As we have already seen, the shape of the blade that you by will be fully dependent on the job that you want to do. For example, if you plan on cutting wood, you will need a blade that is fine or coarse. If you wish to cut tiles, you will need to look for a carbide-encrusted tungsten wire. If you would like to cut plastic, you will need to use a blade that has helical teeth. These are teeth that allow you to cut into the plastic in all directions.

If it’s likely that you’re only going to be cutting wood, it would be wise to opt for a fine or a coarse blade. Coarse blades can help you to cut the wood quickly, making it so much easier if you want to cut the wood in a straight line.

Please make sure you only ever use the right blade, as using the wrong type of blade will result in a less-than-perfect cut, and you could ultimately damage the blade, and the surface you’re trying to cut. Please make sure you always wear suitable protection, as there is always a chance that the blade could snap, particularly if you’re not using the right blade for the job.

How long is the life expectancy?

The life expectancy of your blade and the coping saw itself will depend on how often you use it, and if you look after it. For example, an $86 coping saw could last just a few months if you don’t take care of it, fail to clean the blade, and you don’t store it properly. Alternatively, a very cheap saw could last for years if you take good care of it, store it properly, and always clean the blade after use.

It is hard to say exactly how long a coping saw will last, but if you keep it clean, make sure the blade is tight, you could potentially lengthen its life.

Conclusion

There are some great coping saws on the market right now, and we believe that the above 5 saws are the best out there. Choose from one of the above coping saws so that you can get your wood working and carpentry jobs done quickly, using a saw that works well for you.

If you have any other questions or worries please contact us, or if you have any comments or improvements please leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

Good article, I do carry a pocket wenger swiss army knife in my mini-survival kit. If I go out and do bushcrafting it is always with a fixed blade and fixed backup blade. I also had a near accident with a folding knive, then decided folding knives are not for bushcrafting. In my edc I have a small folder for food or open boxes.

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Cecil Elmore
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February 26, 2018

I have recently purchased a Rat 1 folder and will be interested in how it performs in the field compared to my fixed blade. It has a substantial blade and weighs nearly as much as some fixed knives. But the best thing so far seems to be the liner-lock mechanism unlike some I have tried this really seems to lock and gives you more confidence in using it.

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